Leaders at PACRAO Conference

Administrative leaders shared best practices in student success, transfer pathways, and leadership strategies

Leaders with University of Phoenix joined the proceedings of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) Annual Conference, November 9–12, 2025, in Spokane, WA, and contributed to sessions on a range of topics including academic policy, transfer evaluation, faculty engagement, leadership strategies, articulation processes, and holistic well-being.

“Having a group of University of Phoenix leaders share their insights at PACRAO reflects our commitment to advancing best practices across higher education,” said Marc Booker, Ph.D., vice provost of strategy at University of Phoenix. “From building transfer pathways to enhancing leadership and communication strategies, these sessions provide actionable approaches that help peer institutions better serve today’s learners and positions the higher education to thrive as we pursue our goals.”

The annual event is intended for higher education professionals from a variety of disciplines and offers presentations, workshops, and panels featuring presenters from across the Pacific region. PACRAO is a non-profit, voluntary, professional association representing more than 350 institutionally accredited 2-year, 4-year, and graduate schools with an individual membership of 1,500 professional admissions officers and registrars.

Leadership from the University of Phoenix presented on numerous topics at the PACRAO Annual Conference, including the following:

• Dr. Marc Booker, vice provost of strategy, led the session “Strategies to Maximize Outcomes as an Influential Leader on Campus,” offering insights on maximizing leadership impact when working with cross-functional teams.
• Deslie Ghiorzi, admissions and evaluation college articulation manager, presented “The Art of Articulation: Building Bridges for Student Mobility,” providing a high-level look at articulation processes that support student mobility and strengthen transfer pathways. Ghiorzi also led “Why Healthy Habits Matter: Energy, Resilience, and Well-Being,” focusing on nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, and stress management, and offering practical strategies for sustainable self-care.
• Daja McCleve, product manager, and Audra McQuarie, vice president, registrar, co-presented “Faculty Accommodations Dashboard: Enhancing Awareness, Supporting Students,” showcasing how the dashboard has increased faculty awareness and strengthened support for students with accommodations.
• Joe Tate, senior director, program and policy implementation, led the session, “Comparing & Evaluating Academic Policies to Promote Student Success,” highlighting the registrar’s role in promoting student success through academic policy and reviewing research into best practices and challenges across institutions.
• Kris Thrasher, manager, admissions and evaluation, presented “Enhancing Transfer Evaluation with OCR: Challenges and Successes in Admissions,” exploring strategies to improve accuracy, reduce errors, and train staff in transcript evaluation using OCR technology.

University of Phoenix leaders also contributed to PACRAO’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI), with McQuarie serving as faculty and Ghiorzi as associate faculty. The LDI provides professional growth opportunities for emerging leaders in admissions, records and registration. The program focuses on equipping higher education professionals with the skills to navigate evolving student demographics and advance student success.

Learn more here about the PACRAO Annual Conference.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit  phoenix.edu/blog.html.